Stocking top



Feb. l 1, 1941. E. c. CANTNER STOCKING TOP Filed May 24; 1939 IN V EN TOR. gb m/u) (9, @aM/Mwu Patented at. 11.1941

i s'rocxme 'ror Edward C. Cantner, Danville,-Va., assignor to v llgaville Knitting Mills, a corporation of Vir- Application May 24, 1939, Serial No. 275,494

4 Claims. (01. (ac-172i This invention relates to improvements in stocking tops, and particularly to elastic knittops of boys golf hose or other like stocking tops having incorporated therein with the fabric yarn elastic thread for the purpose of adapting the top to be self-supporting or to maintain a snug fit about the leg of the wearer.

It has been a practice heretofore to incorporate in such fabric article tops an elastic thread extending under tension through all the loops of the border course at the upper edge of the article top an elastic binder or reinforcing thread closelyinterlaced with so as todraw the fabric yarn loops of said course closely together in the undistended condition of the stocking top and to elastically brace said loops, whereby an antiravel selvedged top edge is produced. While this construction is desirable so far as providing a durable selvaged edging is concerned, it has the disadvantage of tending to cause the edge to curl outwardly and to. give an unsightly appearance to the article at this point. It is the object of my invention to overcome this objection, which I accomplish by extending the elastic thread through one or more adjacent succeeding courses of the fabric and connecting the elastic thread'with the fabric yarns of such adjacent succeeding course or courses in such manner as to resist and prevent outward curling of the stocking edge. In the accompanying drawing- Fig. 1 is a view in elevation of a stocking top embodying my invention showing in short and long dash lines respectively the top or hinder thread and the adjacent control or counteractor thread.

Fig. 2 is a, diagram on a larger scale showing the knit and mode of introduction of the elastic thread in the fabric courses.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, I designates a stocking top, of which 2 is the cufi portion formed of knitted cotton or other fabric yarns 3.

The cuif portion 2 has an upper reinforced or selvedged edge 4 formed by introducing into the first course of fabric loops 5 a first hinder or tie course of elastic thread 6 which is introduced by a 1 x l needle action, without any body yarn, through the first course fabric loops so that said elastic thread course 6 extends back and forth from face to face of the fabric through all the fabric loops of' the first course. The'elastic thread thence extends in the form of one or more courses 1 through one or more subsequent courses of the fabric into which it is more loosely introduced. that is to say, each elastic course 'I is united to the fabric at spaced points in the fabric course through which it extends, but is free from engagement with the fabric or floats across a face of the fabric between said spaced points. In the arrangement shown the first ela's- 5 tic thread course I, which extends through the second course of fabric loops, or any course sufficiently close to said first course of fabric loops to serve its purpose, is knitted in each fourth needle wale or loop throughout the fabric course, 10 by a 1 x 3 needle action, so as to be attached to the fabric at such spaced Wale points, said elastic thread course missing the three intervening loops of the fabric course between points of attachmentand being 'free' from attachment to the fabric 15 and floating on a face of the fabric between its said points of attachment thereto. With respect to this first elastic thfead course I, which forms a counteractor thread to resist and prevent outward curling of the edge 4, it will be noted that 20 this thread is introduced so that the free or floating portions thereof are disposed across and in contact with the outer face of the fabric. This mode of introducing an elastic thread course I with the knitted fabric yarns may apply only 25 to and terminate with the second fabric course,

or a fabric course sufliciently close to the selvedged edge course to adapt the thread I to perform the function of'a curl-preventing counteractor thread-,es hereinafter described, but if de- 3th sired, and as shown in Fig. 1, the elastic thread courses! may be continued through subsequent fabric courses and floated on either the outer or inner face of the fabric until the desired length of top with elastic insert is made, the elastic 35 thread then bound off and cut, and knitting with the fabric yarns then proceeded with until the top is completed.

The result of the construction described is to provide a stocking top having an elastic cuif with 40 a reinforced edge comprising a border row, or course, of fabric loops with an inlaid elastic binder thread course extending through each loop of said fabric course. whereby the loops are tied and held closely together by the elastic thread, and 5 also having an elastic control, or counteractor thread-course knitted in with only certain of the loops of an adjacent succeeding fabrlc course and missing a plurality of other intervening loops of said course and floated between its knitted in 50 points on the outer face of the fabric. By this means the elastic tension of the thread course 6 tending in the normal condition of the stocking to cause curling of the edges is opposed by the lateral resistance of the immediately adjacent nersinterfering with the norms! functions of the course 6 or any succeeding courses of elestic thread. The 1 x 3 needle action for introducing the course i is preferably employed as giving the desired looseness while limiting the length of the free floating or exposed portions of the elastic thread to e degree such as to avoid liability of the same catching on extraneous objects and being torn away. In introducing these additional elastic courses 7 the knitting action is preferably such, for obvious reasons, as to dispose the hosting portions of each additional elestic course l on the inner face instesd of on the outer face of the fabric, as shown in Figure l.

' The knitting of the msjor portion, of the top is preferably done on a special cylinder of larger diameter than a regular cylinder for the top size in addition to theuse of on extra, set of some. The parts are first adjusted for e l x i set up oi the needles for the introduction of the threed course e on the first cylinder revolution followed by a 1 if 3 set up of the needles to introduce the thread course H on the second cylinder revolution. This reinforces the top edge and prevents curling. If it be desired to continue the elastic inlay, then the l x 3 set up of the needles for the continued introduction of the thread courses '8 is main :tained until three-fourths of the top is mode, then followed by plain knitting. Afterthe plain.

knitting the 1 x 3 set up is used for three courses of Lastex. These three courses of Lsstex are 'used to reduce the size of the plain knitting heck to the size of the cylinder from which the stools" ing is made. The size of the cylinder from which the boys golf stockings are made varies from 3" to 3%" in diameter. The size of the special cylinders for making this special boys golf top may run from 3%" to QM! in diemeter.

4 What I claim is:

1. A knitted fabric stocking top formed with an anti-curling top edge comprising s body formed of looped fabric yarn courses and hsving cosmos elsstic thread course extending through all the loops of the top course of the fabric and on elastic thread course extending through some of the loops of said top course and knitted to each fourth needle loop of an adjacent course and floated between said knitting points on the outer face of the fabric.

2. A stocking top or other erticle formed of knitted fabric and having an anti-curling top edge comprising a. body formed of fabric yam courses including a border course and having an elastic thread course extending through all the loops of the border course and through some of the icons only of on adjacent course and fastened to thefobric at spaced points in said adjacent course and floated between said points on the outer face of the fabric.

3. A. stocking top or like erticle formed of knitted febric and housing on anti-curling top edge comprising n'liocly formed of looped yam courses, and en elastic thread extending through all the loops of the top course of the fabric being knitted to each fourth needle loop of a course 8djacent to said top course, said thread being floated between aid knitting points in said adjacent course on the outer face of the fabric.

4;. A knit article of hosiery having an anticui'ling top edge which consists of knit body yarn courses including a border course and an elastic yarn extending through all of the loops of said border course, and being under su'mclent tension to drew the sold loops into close relation with each other sround said elastic yarn, the frictional engagement of said closely associated loops with said elastic thread holding the letteregainst loss of tension when the edge is distended, said elastic thread under tension extending through an ndjccent subsequent course in the fabric and being knitted to each fourth needle loop in said adjccent course and floated between said knitting points on the outer face of the fabric.

EDWARD C. CANTNER. 

